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Minerals
Minerals and Identification
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Mineral | a substance that is solid, forms in nature, has a crystal structure, and specific chemical makeup |
Element | a substance made up of one type of atom Examples: copper, gold, silver |
Compound | a substance made up of two or more types of atoms Example: halite |
Crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in an orderly, repeating, 3-D pattern |
Hardness | a mineral's resistance to being scratched |
MOHS Hardness Scale | a scale that indicates the hardness of a mineral from 1-10 (10 is the hardest) |
Fracture | the tendency of a mineral to break into irregular pieces |
Cleavage | the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces |
Streak | color of the mineral powder left behind on a streak plate |
Luster | way in which light reflects from its surface *metallic or non metallic |
Density | amount of mass per unit of volume *d=m/v |